cybrxkhan
Asian Xwedodah
If you're not against a late start, I personally suggest playing one of the Turkish folks in Anatolia after 1307 (when the Sultanate of Rum has exploded) - late games play a little different than early start games, but I like them because you have a shorter timespan so you have to focus more on your goals. But anyhow the post-1307 start has the Ottomans, where you can attempt to pull off what the Ottomans did historically in a relatively free-for-all situation in the Balkans and Anatolia, with Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox squaring off against each other.